Employment in Retail Trade
The term “Retail Apocalypse” focuses on store closures and job losses implying jobs are being destroyed at an alarming rate. But, data suggests otherwise. As jobs are lost in retail, new jobs for drivers, warehouse operatives, web designers, data scientists, and customer service representatives are being created. The Progressive Policy Institute estimates once warehouse workers are taken into account, 54,000 more e-commerce jobs were added than brick-and-mortar jobs lost last year.1
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics also bears this out showing year-to-date retail employment growth has averaged 22,000 per month. While 2017 was a sluggish year (chart below), the overall trend continues to show growth in its wake.2
Source 1: The Progressive Policy Institute. Source 2: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
